Unfair Uprisings
by Amberleaf le Haunt
Summary: Petalpaw's back, and this time as a WindClan apprentice! However, she's only just getting over the nightmares when Rock comes back into the picture, ready to kill this time. How can Petalpaw save the Clans, and how does her prophecy tie into all this?
1. Prologue

**And... with that... the sequel begins! ^.^; **

**I hope you like the start to this. :3 **

**This'll delve much more into Petalpaw's prophecy (although I can't exactly recall it right now, and for some reason I can't find it anywhere in the previous story, but I'm probably just not looking hard enough), and hopefully will give you some insight on why Rock acts the way he does, too. ^.^; This whole story, I mean, will do all that stuff; I can't just give it all away in the prologue! XDD **

**Anyways, enjoy! ^.^; **

**I shall update again soon, if I can figure out how Petalpaw should realistically act, now that she's back with the other cats in the Clans. :3 Any ideas? ^.^; I'd sure love to hear them! :D **

* * *

Prologue

Mist spilled out through the trees into the small clearing on the island in the middle of the lake. Leaves rustled, and somewhere up above a muffled hooting could be heard. The waves off the lake smashed against the rocks. Then the wind dropped, and all was silent.

Three cats melted slowly out of the bushes and huddled down in the clearing, their tails flicking nervously and their eyes darting about. This wasn't exactly recommended StarClan territory. So close to the Dark Forest, if the evil cats there knew about your presence, they could swim out onto the island and you would be efficiently trapped.

But it was the only way.

"Yellowfang," one of the cats muttered; he was a rather small black tom cat with bright green eyes and a rather fluffed tail.

"Midnightpaw," she allowed, sighing and sitting up straight, washing a gray paw. Her yellow eyes shifted in her flat face to land on a pretty light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes and a tail slowly fading to black at the end. "Sunflight."

"Is Lakestorm coming?" Sunflight ventured cautiously, shuddering and curling her tail tighter around her paws as she glanced around furtively.

Suddenly, a shape dropped down from the trees above, landing with a thump and scaring the other three cats so much that they were rendered speechless, a rather good thing anyway so close to the Dark Forest.

"Here I am!" a very dark blue-gray tomcat with surprisingly pale blue eyes announced as his broad tail swept up and down behind him.

"Lakestorm!" Sunflight hissed. "Don't scare us like that!" She had finally gotten her voice back.

Lakestorm merely looked over at her casually. "Oh, please," he snorted. "You'll be fine! I mean, it's not like you can die _again_ in StarClan."

Sunflight sighed, shuffling her paws to stop the mist from curling around them. "I know; it's just…."

Lakestorm let out a purr of laughter. "The Dark Forest is about, and as such you're scared?"

Sunflight suddenly glared at him, and she hissed, "_Yes!_"

"Oh, too bad." He sighed. "They probably won't bother with the little old us, anyways!"

"You never know." Midnightpaw was speaking now. He was wise beyond his years in StarClan. "I was killed by one of the cats they had convinced over to their side, remember. This was even before the Rock Agency was formed. You never know what they could do!"

"He's right, you know," Sunflight added quietly. "They seem to have an agenda all of their own, that constantly changes. I'm sure that Yellowfang will agree with me." She looked around. "Yellowfang! Yellowfang?"

The old gray she-cat was sitting at the side of a small pool, her eyes closed and her paw resting on top of the water, where the image of a small tricoloured she-cat was forming. She was standing in a bold stance, bracing herself against the wind on the top of a tall rock, looking down at a crowd of scarred yet determined looking cats below her. All this and more came into focus as the image slowly formed itself into being. She seemed to be speaking, although there were no words to be heard.

"The prophecy of the petal, come to life," Midnightpaw murmured.

"A big responsibility, for such a young cat," Yellowfang agreed, nodding slowly.

"Are you sure she will be ready?" Sunflight asked tentatively.

"She will have to be." Lakestorm's voice was quiet. "Otherwise, the Clans are doomed."


	2. Chapter 1

***shrugs* Petalpaw is a little bit depressive here, methinks! Oh, well; I haven't written her in such a long time, and the mental Petalpaw in my head has seriously changed since then! Unfortunately, this also means that she's slightly OOC from where she was in the last book. This is... hmm... well... almost a month since they escaped? /had to check some of what she wrote to make damned sure of that\ So, Petalpaw has changed a lot since then. I mean, after 2 months of trauma, this is all so different to her... **

**Anyways, enjoy! ^.^; And, Brightspirit, for reviewing, you get a free Rock plushie! :3 It's only virtual, but maybe I'll draw one! ^.^; We'll have to see; I'm still mainly just learning about my tablet. :3 **

* * *

Chapter 1

"Get up, sleepyhead!" yowled Birchpaw, suddenly shaking me awake from a dark, nightmare-filled sleep.

I let out a terrified screech. "_No!_"

"It's time for training!" Birchpaw announced.

I growled at him, "I'm coming! Calm down!"

"Jeesh! No need to be so touchy," Birchpaw complained, drawing back. I wasn't quite sure why, but I was always in a terrible mood after one of my nightmares. It wasn't fair to take my anger out on poor Birchpaw, but _somebody_ had to learn. Obviously, he hadn't heard that I was not to be disturbed violently in the mornings.

"No. You know what?" I snapped, getting up and rounding on Birchpaw. "I know you heard. You _have_ to have heard. I'm still recovering from my ordeal, and I'm in _no_ mood to be violently disturbed by some clueless _idiot_ in the mornings! It just causes me to be afraid, and I don't like to remember!"

"Oh, sorry." Birchpaw's eyes widened. "Again, I'm so sorry! It won't happen again." And with that, he scuttled out of the den.

I sighed, looking after him. I hadn't meant to hurt his feelings, or even to terrify him that much; the whole point was to make sure I escaped with my own sanity intact! However, I had probably somehow scared him off in the process.

_Nice going, Petalpaw,_ I thought sarcastically to myself. _You've just scared off your brother._

That brought me to another thing. How could a cat that clueless and chatty possibly be related to me?

_I swear; I'll never understand StarClan. They always seem to make things confusing, and especially for me,_ I thought. _In fact, I'm having difficulty understanding the Clan at the moment!_

It had been three quarter-moons since the kits and I had been saved from slavery. Rose had moved into the nursery. It turned out that her kits were coming in another quarter-moon. She had thought it took one moon until birthing, when really it took two. She hadn't been too upset about it. In fact, she'd been quite pleased to wait!

"_Nah, that's fine," she said, purring and entwining her tail with Lunar's._

See what I mean?

In any case, Rose was happy, I was pretty much happy with the Clan warrior's training that I had been deprived of for so many moons, and the Clan seemed to be safe.

….For now.

Personally, I just wondered when Rock would make another pass at it. When he'd decide it was safe, and then pounce. With Rock, it would probably be soon. He'd just wait until the Clan cats' minds were generally cleared of the incident, and then he'd strike again.

With a bit of shock, I realized that I no longer really thought of myself as a 'Clan cat'. I mean, I hadn't been here for so long... and I had been tortured so much… that now I was more skittish, afraid, and I honestly couldn't consider myself as part of any group. Not a slave, yet, not a real cat, either; I just couldn't get back into the Clan's routine!

_You would think that any cat would be hilariously relieved to be free of them, but I'm just terrified that they'll come back. We didn't kill them, they didn't kill themselves, they didn't get caught by Twolegs; no, they're still out there… somewhere…,_ I thought to myself.

_And I'm worried that they're going to hunt me down again._

I shook my head, successfully pushing myself out of my depressive thoughts for maybe a moment or two, and focused on the matter at paw. What was I doing, anyway? I could no longer remember, but… oh. Yeah. That. First off, I had to go apologize to Birchpaw—not that he would remember if I left it a little while, because he was just that kind of clueless, and especially very forgetful, cat—and then I had to go train or something. I tried in vain to remember what Birchpaw had told me when he'd woken me up all rudely, but I could no longer, seeing as how he had scared me so badly…. Yeah. Given the state I was in these days, I figured that I had _better_ apologize.

Whatever, I could just go do it later, I figured as I stepped out of the den and into the bright morning sunshine. It was obviously almost noon, so I wondered why no cat had woken me up before then.

"Oh, hi!" I suddenly heard Cloudypaw's voice behind me. "You're finally up! How're you feeling?" she asked breathlessly, skidding up beside me.

"Oh, umm… well, okay, I guess." I sighed.

"I heard about the incident with Birchpaw." I could feel eyes on me, and when I turned to look I found that Cloudypaw was staring at me intently. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"Yeah… I'm fine," I muttered, turning away from her. "No need to worry about me. Really."

"No, Petalpaw, I know that look," she insisted. "I didn't spend a whole lot of time around the medicine cat as a kit for nothing, you know! Shortly after you… well… left, I saw the same look on our mother's face; and… on a lot of cats' faces…. You were liked…." She trailed off.

"No, really!" I insisted. "I am totally fine. Don't worry about me. Please," I requested, in a quiet voice that sounded more like the one that I'd use in front of Rock and his cronies, rather than the Clan cats that I lived with now.

"Well, okay." Cloudypaw blinked at me. "Just tell me if there's anything I can help with, okay?"

As I turned away, I felt confused. I felt kind of angry at Cloudypaw for interfering, but there was something in my mind that was just telling me, asking me, saying that I seriously had to rid myself of the mentality that I wasn't a Clan cat. Maybe this was a good thing after all.

I guessed that I would just have to find out.


	3. Chapter 2

**Hey, hey, hey! New chapter, here! :3**

**Ah hahaha... I hope this is okay... **

**In any case, enjoy! ^.^; Please leave a review, because I should have at least 5 more by now if my Traffic stats are correct. :3 And, besides, I need to know what you think of this so far! Is it too cliched, or too lame, or...? I need your answers!**

**Feedback, please!**

* * *

Chapter 2

The rest of the day passed without much incident. I didn't apologize to Birchpaw, but, then, I didn't actually see him for the rest of the day! I was too busy training, with my mentor. Lightstar kept me really busy! Spotpelt was exhausted by the end of the day, obviously not having run the Clan like this for a few moons.

I was really tired when we got back. I'd been hunting and practice fighting and the only rest I got was in the middle of the day, when we stopped in a glade to eat and help get me prepared for Lightstar's next training session. We did hunting for one part of the day, and then he explained to me that we'd be doing some fighting practice. We'd hunt some more at the end of the day so that we'd have something to take back to the Clan, but it was imperative that I know how to fight. Lightstar's reasoning went right along with mine, that Rock was coming back someday and that he would probably try to amass a better fighting force before then. We had to be ready.

"Petalpaw!" Cloudypaw came running up to me as soon as I entered the camp. "You would not _believe_ what just happened!"

"I don't know what just happened. That is…?" I prompted gently.

She just barged right on, as if not having heard me. "Well, we found a rogue cat on our territory during patrol today! And we took him prisoner! And now we have to guard him, but he says for some reason that he wants to see you, Petalpaw!"

"No." Lightstar came up behind me just then. "_No._ Petalpaw is the best resource we've got on these cats. We can't let her anywhere near them!"

I turned to face my mentor, blinking. "No, Lightstar, I'm sure it'll be fine," I said calmly, although I was feeling far from calm inside. "I mean, what's the worst that can happen?"

Lightstar, however, saw right through me, and he pulled me aside. "Petalpaw," he whispered urgently, "I know you have to face your fears and that all of us have been telling you that you'll get better eventually, but this is definitely _not_ the way to do it! I know you're scared, more scared than you've been since you got here, but this is not the way to handle it!"

I sighed. "I know you're a Clan leader and all that, but, Lightstar… I've gotta do this! I know these cats, I know what they are like, and I know best how to handle them!"

"Yes, I know, but what if you get hurt in the process?" His gaze flicked over some of the scars on my body. "You don't know how to _handle_ them. You nearly got yourself killed on many occasions, if what you tell us is true!"

He did make sense. "Please, though…," I begged. "Please at least let me see who it is, Lightstar! Depending on who it is, I can probably help you with the best ways to handle them. One of the cats I used to…." I hesitated, swallowed. "….live with, is a very good escape artist. She'll escape if you don't constantly keep up your guard! Depending on who it is, we'll probably need a watch going right through the night."

Lightstar nodded. "I trust your opinion, but you're not going in there without at least two other warriors accompanying you, all right?"

I sighed. "Yes. Right. Whatever. Can we please just get this over with, now?"

"Darkflower! Firestorm!" Lightstar yowled.

"Firestorm's out on patrol, Lightstar," Darkflower explained, coming up and dipping her head to the leader. Lightstar nodded.

"Very well. Is Rabbitstep around?" he called, straightening up and scanning the cats in the clearing.

"Yes!" Rabbitstep pranced up, his long pale brown tail straight up and waving excitedly in the air.

"Will you two accompany Petalpaw to the prisoner's den?" Lightstar asked.

"Yes, Lightstar!" they both answered in unison, nodding and then taking up positions on either side of me.

I took a deep breath as we reached the prison where whoever they had caught was being held, and then steeled myself as the guards of the small prison rolled aside the rock. I stepped forward, looking into the shadows. Pale green eyes gleamed out at me from the darkness.

It was Thorn.


	4. Chapter 3

**Hey, guys! ^.^; Here's to a new chapter of UU! :3 **

**Sooooo, here's the deal. I need to know: which scenario would you prefer?**

** Scenario One: Petalpaw talks to Thorn; all is good.**

**Scenario Two: Petalpaw talks to Thorn; he decides to torture her, but only enough so that the marks are not visible to anyone else - and if she tells anyone, he'll kill her.**

**Scenario One will probably move the story along faster, I will admit, but... Scenario Two just seems so tempting! ^.^; **

**Any ideas for me here, guys? :3 **

**In any case, enjoy! ^.^; **

* * *

Chapter 3

I gasped quietly, stepping past Darkflower and Rabbitstep further into the hole, despite their obvious protests against the action. The guards at the entrance to the prison tensed, obviously wondering why I was so crazy as to go towards Thorn, when I had specific orders from my leader and many other cats not to.

I paused, undecided, just outside the entrance to the prison, and Thorn chuckled.

"Relax," he murmured, so that only I could hear. "I wouldn't dare try anything here."

I believed him. I knew him well enough to know that even he wouldn't try rising up against a Clan full of good fighters, especially since he wasn't really that proficient of a fighter himself. Besides that, he could just be here to collect information, in which case he wouldn't risk anything, anyway. As long as the Clan believed that he was safe, and not a threat, they would continue talking normally, and Thorn with his sharp ears would undoubtedly pick it up.

"I believe you," I replied back curtly. "But now is not the time for things like that. If you can promise you won't hurt me, I'll get the guards to lock you and I in this cell and we can talk."

Thorn chuckled drily. "And what would be the use of that? I have absolutely no reason to injure you. It wouldn't be… all that convenient to my plans."

"And just what are your plans, anyway?" I demanded.

Thorn didn't answer. He simply looked past me, up into the light that marked the entrance of the camp. It was clear what he was waiting for. Since I didn't see any way past it….

"All right." I sighed. "Close the door." I motioned at the guards to do so, and the moment I did, Rabbitstep and Darkflower both rushed forward.

Rabbitstep, in front, meowed urgently, "Petalpaw, you _can't_ do it! He'll kill you!"

I simply stared at him levelly and said, "No, he said he wouldn't. And I believe him."

"Petalpaw, you _can't_ trust him!" Darkflower protested.

"He's a cat of his word," I meowed calmly, although all this thought and the protests of my guards were personally wreaking havoc on my emotions. Now, although I had earlier thought this was a good idea, I wasn't too sure….

But then my resolve hardened. I stared at Darkflower with a gaze like steel as I meowed, "If I say that we can trust him, then we can trust him. I know _I_ can, at least. Besides, what would he have to gain from hurting me?"

She suddenly gasped. "You mean he's—"

That was about as far as she got, however, before I reached up and silenced her with a paw. "Shh!" I hissed, glancing furtively backward at Thorn.

Darkflower recovered herself rather quickly, collecting herself and murmuring to me, "So, do you mean that he's spying on us?" in a rather nervous little voice.

"Yes, seems that way," I whispered back to her. "But I don't want the camp to know! I'm not sure myself, and I need to go and ask him to confirm my suspicions."

"But why should we let him continue?" she asked me. I paused, brought up short. That was actually a very good question—why should we continue letting him spy on us?

"I don't know!" I whispered, flattening my ears. "But I think we should give him the benefit of the doubt—because, after all, I'm not sure, and…."

Darkflower straightened up suddenly. "Fine," she meowed abruptly. "Go! This information could be crucial to the survival of the Clan."

I wondered why she had changed directions so abruptly, but it was at least in my favour and at this point I didn't really care; I mean, hey, at least she was actually giving me what I wanted! I simply flicked my tail at her, and motioned to the guards with a jerk of my head to close the den up as I padded into the murky darkness.


	5. Chapter 4

**O.O; New chapter! I know! I disappeared for _so long_!**

**Anywho, I hope this lives up to all your guys' standards, and please leave a review when you're done reading! ^.^; **

**Enjoy! :3 **

* * *

Chapter 4

As soon as the rock was rolled over the entrance to the den, I was bowled over by an unseen force, and a voice purred in my ear, "Hello, Petalpaw." I was so shocked that I couldn't speak or even move.

Thorn held me in place for a few moments more, and then he leaped off and landed delicately beside me… or at least as delicately as you could land on that strange, slippery floor, covered in moss and other rather disturbing wetness.

He was still very coordinated, though, even on ground like this, so I couldn't really fault him for that. He was still one of the most evil cats that I had ever known, along with Rock, Vixen, and all those others. There were three 'others' that I could think of just then: Smudge, Ice, and Blood Strike.

I shakily got up, not very prepared for that. "Why'd you do that?" I asked tentatively. "You said you weren't going to hurt me."

"That I won't," he purred softly. I couldn't see him in the pitch-black darkness.

"Then _why'd_ you do that?" I asked.

"Oh, no reason," he meowed, then added, "I just wanted to make sure that you listened to me."

"But I will! Every word!" I assured him hurriedly, in a quick protest.

"Are you sure?" I could feel his eyes on me in the darkness.

"Positive," I reaffirmed, quite annoyed that he was still treating me like a slave kit, when, really, _he_ was the subordinate here!

"Alright, then," he simply said, sounding a little impatient. "First of all, I must say, I'm quite impressed with your Clan's method of keeping prisoners and skills of organization."

I tensed. What was he leading up to?

"I'll say this one thing: the Rock Agency is planning to take over the Clans. I know _you_ won't tell your Clan how exactly we plan to do it, will you, Bug?"

I groaned. "For the last time, my name is…."

He cut me off. "Petalpaw. Yeah, I know."

"Then why don't you use my name?" I challenged him, although I was pretty sure I knew exactly the answer to that _why_ question.

_He's just trying to intimidate you, Petalpaw,_ I told myself. _Calm down._

"Because," he said, blinking slowly. I waited for him to offer an explanation, anything for this weird behaviour, but he offered none and I didn't ask.

"Well, anyways," I said impatiently, "I won't tell my Clan. What's this all about, anyway?"

"Before I tell you anything, you just have to agree to my _one_ condition," he warned me suddenly, leaning forward.

"Yes?" I was feeling apprehensive now, wondering what he could possibly want.

He leaned forward until his breath was so close, it was tickling the fur on my ear. My whiskers twitched slightly in discomfort. He smelled horrid. What had he been _eating_, anyway? I knew the answer of course: prey the Clan didn't need; in other words, the least fresh. _Maybe even crowfood!_ I thought in some excitement. Yes, he was only fit to be eating crowfood. A cat as horrible as him didn't deserve anything else!

And then he breathed, "You have to help me escape."


End file.
